Free family event will celebrate Pembrokeshire’s coast, marine life and community projects

MILFORD HAVEN will host a free maritime celebration this St David’s Day, with families invited to enjoy a day of hands-on activities, talks and local food at the popular Waterfront.

The Festival of the Sea will take place on Sunday (Mar 1) from 10:00am to 4:00pm, bringing together organisations, community groups and marine experts to highlight Pembrokeshire’s connection to the ocean and the people working to protect it.

Organised by Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum, the one-day event will feature a range of interactive attractions, including a live marine touch tank hosted by the Field Studies Council, creative workshops with the Waterfront Gallery, and storytelling sessions from organisations such as the RNLI, Celtic Deep, Car Y Môr and The Crown Estate.

Visitors will also be able to learn more about local environmental initiatives, meet community organisations and explore projects focused on protecting and shaping the future of the region’s seas.

Food lovers can enjoy a selection of locally produced dishes from Pembrokeshire Beach Food, while families will find plenty of activities designed to inspire curiosity about marine life and coastal heritage.

Organisers say the festival aims to celebrate the county’s unique coastal environment while encouraging people of all ages to connect with the ocean through learning, creativity and community engagement.

A full programme of talks, workshops and activities is expected to be released ahead of the event.

PLANS for a freshwater shower facility at a Pembrokeshire seaside harbour for cold water swimmers and other beach users have been given the go-ahead by the national park.

In an application to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Kerry Evans sought permission for a cold freshwater shower set in a coastal garden rockery at an area of raised plant bed between the slipway and car park at Saundersfoot Harbour.

Local community council Saundersfoot raised no objections to the proposal.

A supporting statement accompanying the application said: “This facility would be open to everyone – Saundersfoot residents and visitors year-round. A multi-headed cold shower would be located within a newly landscaped area, with an accessible path leading through a rockery style coastal garden.

“The wastewater from the shower will drain through a proprietary trap, then to a reservoir/sand trap and then into an appropriately sized soak away. The reservoir and soak away will enable water to be reused to keep the planting watered during the warmer months when the shower will be in more use.

“Signage will be provided to explain to users that soap and shampoo should not be used due to the wastewater being recycled and used for plant maintenance and the impact on the marine environment.

“The cold-water nature of the shower will also act as a deterrent to people doing this. The shower will be fitted with a flow cap and turn off automatically after a short time, to ensure that proper water management is built into the shower design.”

The application to the park is alongside a funding application to Visit Wales, the documents say.

“The addition of a freshwater shower in the village will provide a faculty for beach users, cold water swimmers and will encourage people to visit the beach and stay in the village longer as they will be able to remove excess salt and sand.

“Working with Saundersfoot Harbour (landowner) an existing raised flower bed has been identified as an ideal location for the shower at the top of the slipway between the pathway and the car park. The renewed planting design will be seen as an enhancement to the area and the proximity to a mains water supply within the nearby footway.

“The engineering work to connect to the main supply is much simplified avoiding the need for work within the highway and any potential road closures or traffic management.”

The application was conditionally approved by park planners.

A PEMBROKESHIRE charity has launched an ambitious bid to restore Foley House, one of Haverfordwest’s most significant historic buildings, through the creation of a new community cooperative called The Bucketful Centre.

Adam’s Bucketful of Hope, with support from PLANED Community Development, has established the cooperative to take forward plans to refurbish and repurpose the landmark building.

Foley House was built during Britain’s naval heyday and designed by renowned architect John Nash for the brother of Captain Foley, who served alongside Lord Nelson at the Battle of the Nile. Nash later went on to design the Brighton Pavilion and parts of Buckingham Palace. At the same time he was working on Foley House, Nash was also designing Priory House in Cardigan, located on the former hospital site at the entrance to the town.

Haverfordwest was once known as “the Bath of the West” and boasted many grand homes, but Foley House has fallen into significant disrepair over recent decades.

The four-storey building is currently owned by Pembrokeshire County Council and is now in the process of being leased to The Bucketful Centre cooperative. Once renovated, it will become the new base for Adam’s Bucketful of Hope, operating as a cancer support centre with expanded services for patients, carers and people living with life-limiting conditions.

Founder and CEO of Adam’s Bucketful of Hope, Chris Evans-Thomas, said demand for the charity’s services had risen sharply since the Covid pandemic.

He said Foley House offers the space, parking and future disabled access needed to deliver improved support for patients, particularly as some hospital services are being reduced or lost.

The campaign will be formally launched at a public presentation at the Merlin Theatre, Pembrokeshire College, on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, at 6:30pm.

The event will be led by PLANED’s Community Assets Coordinator Cris Tomos, who has extensive experience in saving historic buildings, alongside well-known historian Mark Muller.

Further information about the project is available at www.bucketfulcentre.co.uk or by contacting Chris Evans-Thomas on 01437 779400.